


Travelers of the Blue Road

by EvilReceptionistOfDoom



Series: Hunters [11]
Category: Seirei no Moribito | Guardian of the Sacred Spirit
Genre: Assassination Plot(s), Conspiracy, Gen, Head Injury, Mild Profanity, Mostly Canon Compliant, Naval Battle, Ocean Voyage, Pirates, Sailing, Sangal, Spies & Secret Agents, War, please comment please please please I am so desperate for comments, political maneuvering, the New Yogo Empire, the Talsh Empire, this is my most ambitious fic and I really hope I can finish it, tropical island
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:53:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27376003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilReceptionistOfDoom/pseuds/EvilReceptionistOfDoom
Summary: Crown Prince Chagum, now fifteen, is sent on a suicide mission by his jealous, paranoid father, the Mikado. Suddenly the prince must evade assassins, escape pirates, and match wits with powerful forces that seek to use him as a pawn against his own country. Shuga has sent an ally, but if Chagum is to survive he must do so alone.Takes place ~4 years after the anime.  Adapted from the canon sequel toGuardian of the Spirit, 蒼路の旅人, by Nahoko Uehashi.
Series: Hunters [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/479968
Comments: 26
Kudos: 8





	1. The War Council

**Author's Note:**

> _DID YOU KNOW_ that the Seirei no Moribito anime is based on just one of a ten-book series? The seventh book in the series is called Traveler of the Blue Road (蒼路の旅人/Soro no Tabibito) and focuses on the adventures of a 15/16-year-old Chagum, setting up a climactic finale that takes three books to complete. I wanted _so badly_ to be able to read this book that I just got fed up and decided to write an English-language version myself. So, what follows is a version cobbled together from many sources, based on careful research: blogs and book summaries (translated from Japanese), fanart, the book itself (which is illustrated! whut?!), and season 2 of the live-action drama... but it also contains some intentional departures from canon on my part, some of them large, because (as will be obvious if you look at the rest of this series) my favorite characters are the Imperial Hunters, who are fairly minor in the books. But for the most part, this is as faithful to the real book as I can get.

There was a hush over the Imperial court that afternoon. Servants scurried between buildings with their heads down; the Star Palace hummed with muted nerves; the Guard, standing silently about the wall, were sweating under their helmets despite the weather was cold. In the Emperor's audience chamber, the generals of the Army, the admirals of the Navy, the Holy Sage, the Mikado, and the Crown Prince had been in conference since a messenger arrived from Sangal around two bells after dawn. Something major was happening. Everyone could sense it, but none of them, not even those in the audience chamber, could compass just how major it would turn out to be.

Inside the Emperor's chamber, things were rather more heated than without.

"Your highness, we must send aid at once!" General Sasuraku was saying. "This is no time for caution! If the Talsh see that we shy from a minor confrontation such as this one, what will they think of our nation? Sangal has asked for our help! If we do not respond, even they will think us cowards."

"Your highness, the letter does not ask us to fight their war for them," countered another, older general. "We need only pledge our support to their cause, not our ships and manpower!"

The debate had been raging for hours now. Half of the men present wished to rush into battle at once, taking the entire Yogo navy with them; the other half wanted to stay out of the conflict until more information could be obtained. The Mikado himself had yet to reveal with which side he stood, and the Holy Sage had been conspicuously silent throughout the discussion.

Chagum, too, watched the exchange in silence. He kept thinking of his trip to Sangal a little less than two years earlier. The country had welcomed him - and Shuga, who had accompanied him on the journey - and in return he had managed to thwart a conspiracy against the Sangalese royal family and became close friends with Princess Saruna, the daughter of the Sangalese king. He could still close his eyes and put himself back in the airy, fragrant cool of the guest quarters where he had stayed there: the sound of the endless surf, the warm breeze murmuring through the thatched roof, the smell of roasting fish and ever-blooming flowers. He missed that place. The thought of the pleasant island nation being invaded by the notoriously warlike Talsh Empire chilled his heart... though it didn't come as a surprise; the writing had been on the wall even then. Then again, the letter the messenger brought had been painfully vague, asking for help and reinforcement but neglecting to mention how great the Talsh forces were in number or armaments, how far the enemy had penetrated into Sangalese territory, and so on. The language used had been strange as well - almost as if the letter were scripted. Chagum's instincts told him something wasn't right. But he dared not bring up his misgivings aloud. He had no proof, and even if he did, his father would simply dismiss whatever he had to say as childish and irrelevant, just like he did whenever the boy tried to speak up, whether the matter be simple or serious. Though as crown prince Chagum now attended many political audiences like this one, the boy had learned to sit still and keep quiet, because whatever contribution he tried to make would be ignored at best and quashed at worst. The emperor had no interest in what his son had to say.

The fact was, Chagum and his father no longer got along on any level, personal or professional. Ever since he had been returned to the palace after the birth of the water spirit, Chagum had felt a distance between himself and his father that had not been there before - as if a wall had been erected between man and child that could neither be seen nor crossed. Time had only made the problem worse. His father's attitude seemed to have gradually morphed from uncertainty to resentment to open hostility. It didn't help that, lately, the citizens of Kousenkyo had begun to speak of their hopes that Chagum, the reincarnation of the great Emperor Torgal, would take the throne sooner rather than later; the Mikado's popularity was waning rapidly, his neglect of the common people and their struggles against criminals and slave-traders finally beginning to catch up with him. The boy longed for that happy, dreamlike season he had spent with Balsa and Tanda as a commoner, even as the memories of that time blurred and the palace folk did everything within their power to discredit the spearwielder and the herbalist, to excise them from his heart. Shuga's worry, his mother's wariness, his father's disdain, all served merely to increase Chagum's defiance. Letters from Tanda still appeared at his writing desk as if by magic, though intermittently. Shuga, too, was still meeting with Mistress Torogai whenever he could get away from court for a few hours, and he passed along verbal messages between the prince and his pseudo-family on the outside. It was agony to know that Shuga could go wherever he pleased, but Chagum himself could never leave the palace without permission from the Mikado and an entourage of fifty servants, guards, and standard-bearers along for the trip.

Again he thought of Sangal, where he had gone swimming in the warm white-sand lagoon and looked for shells with Saruna. Sangal didn't put the same restrictions on its royalty that New Yogo did.

Briefly the boy let himself fall into a daydream where he had been born a prince of Sangal instead, and what that would be like. The fantasy was such a pleasant one that Chagum didn't notice that the meeting was wrapping up until his father's voice pulled him back to reality.

"-Admiral Tosa. We grant thee the blessing of heaven. Bring victory to our fleet."

Chagum started, wondering with sinking heart what he had missed. Admiral Tosa was his maternal grandfather, a well-respected veteran whom Chagum thought fondly of, though they had never been able to spend much time together. The boy gathered that the fleet was being dispatched to Sangal's aid, after all, and that Tosa was to lead it. His father rose and retreated from the audience chamber without so much as a glance at his son, and thus the advisors were dismissed.

"Grandfather," said Chagum, catching up to Tosa before the old man could leave the chamber. 

"Your highness," said Tosa warmly, his smile making the word mean something different and more personal, "you mustn't worry for this old sea-captain. Tell your dear mother that I'll be home safely in a few months, and that she ought to set her heart at ease over me. I know how she frets every time I'm off at sea."

"Grandfather..." Chagum lowered his voice. "Aren't you bothered by this whole situation? You don't know what you're sailing into. It could be a trap!"

Admiral Tosa set a kindly hand on the boy's shoulder. "No trap is big enough to catch the Yogoan Navy. We'll have no trouble helping your Sangalese friends."

"The entire navy?" murmured Chagum. "Father is sending the entire navy with you?"

"Yes, your highness," Tosa chuckled. "You missed that part of the meeting, I suppose?"

The prince didn't have to answer; his expression gave him away. He was startled at the brashness of this move. What if something went wrong? If New Yogo were to lose its fleet, its coast would be totally unprotected. But Chagum knew better than to say as much, even to his grandfather. He was not yet sixteen and knew of military matters only what he had read in history books. It was not his place to criticize or second-guess the strategies of older, wiser men. Instead he managed a little smile and said, "Good luck, grandfather. I am sure Mother and I will see you soon."


	2. The Letter

Admiral Tosa had been gone only a day and a half when a second messenger came. This time, however, there was no fanfare, no grand meeting of the emperor's advisors, no murmur of interest from the Court. The Court did not even know - for this messenger came directly to Chagum, showing up in the hall outside the room where the prince was with Shuga, his tutor, practicing calligraphy.

A faint tapping came at the door. Shuga went to answer, then returned quite a long time later. He held a leather cylinder sealed with wax. His expression was of consternation.

"What is this, Shuga?" asked the boy when the tutor bowed and held the cylinder out to him. "A letter?"

"I do not know, your highness. It is addressed directly to your majesty."

"Open it." Chagum set aside his calligraphy brush and straightened, attentive, as Shuga broke the seal and slid a scroll from the cylinder. He handed it to the prince to read, and Chagum did so, quickly. His brow furrowed, and he looked up at Shuga. The star reader was shocked to see fear on the prince's face.

"It's from Princess Saruna," Chagum said softly. "The Talsh have taken Sangal. Months ago. They do not need reinforcements from us, it's far too late for that. Grandfather is sailing into a trap."

Shuga sucked in a breath. "Are- are you sure, your highness?"

"That's what it says."

"Perhaps _this_ is the deception. Perhaps it was sent from the Talsh so that we would recall the navy and Sangal would not receive their reinforcements. Are you certain it was written by the princess, your highness?"

"Is there anything else in the tube?"

Shuga gave him a puzzled look, but he turned the leather cylinder upside-down. Out fell a tiny yellow-orange shell, a cowrie with fine black teeth. Wordlessly Shuga handed it to the prince. Chagum sighed.

"It's something we agreed on before I left," said the boy with a sad smile. "That she would send me a shell with every letter. To remind me of our fun together. Shuga, this is undoubtedly from Princess Saruna." He shook his head and returned the shell and the letter to the leather tube. "I have to tell my father."

"Are you certain that's wise, your highness? He- he isn't- that is, he might not-"

"What choice have I? If I don't tell him now, there won't be time to recall the fleet. Grandfather and all the navy will be surrounded and slaughtered, and nothing will stand between our borders and the armies of the Talsh. Please, Shuga, go and tell the Holy Sage that I must speak with my father at once. Perhaps... perhaps if Father hears it from Hibi Tonan, he will be more willing to listen to me." It was clear from the boy's expression that he didn't expect this to work, but Shuga knew that Chagum would not be dissuaded from bringing Saruna's letter to his father's attention. Shuga also knew that the Mikado would not respond well to the news. If there were but some way for him to protect the prince from his father's jealousy and petty rages! Shuga felt helpless, as he had so many times since the boy first became the vessel of the Nyunga Ro Im's egg, almost five years ago now. Chagum had had so much pain inflicted on him, and there looked to be no end in sight. He had all but lost his father - any chance for a relationship with him, at least. Now, soon, the prince would lose his grandfather as well. 

"As you wish, your highness," said Shuga as gently as he could. He bowed low and went to find Hibi Tonan.


	3. The Prince and the Emperor

As Shuga predicted, Chagum's audience with his father started off badly and only got worse. The Mikado was irritated at being summoned and made Chagum wait nearly half an hour outside the audience chamber before admitting him. After the boy had one of the Invisibles hand Saruna's letter to the Emperor and explained the meaning of the cowrie shell, he finished with, "So you see, Father, Admiral Tosa and the navy are sailing into a Talsh ambush. We must send a messenger at once to intercept them before they can fall into the trap, or they will all be lost! There is still time, but if we don't act now-"

"'We'?" repeated his father.

Chagum cut off, mouth open, realising suddenly how impertinent he must have sounded in his zeal to act. "I apologize, Father - I only meant-"

"You believe that you can tell the Son of Heaven what course of action to take in this matter? You believe that you, a mere prince, a mere boy, know better than your father and the divine Emperor of New Yogo?"

Chagum quickly bowed low, prostrate, his face burning. "Forgive me, Father. I spoke without thinking."

"As you seem to do more and more frequently. I wonder if my son has been listening to the whispers of the people - whether he, too, is beginning to believe that he would make a better Mikado than his esteemed father. I wonder if he is entertaining fantasies of rebellion." The Emperor's tone was cold, dangerous, vaguely mocking. "Perhaps the boy believes the myth I created, that he is Torgal reborn. Perhaps his delusion is making him hungry for the throne. What do you think, Chagum? Are you more fit to rule than the Emperor?"

The prince pressed even closer to the ground, trembling with shame and anger. Why did his father hate him so? He hadn't invented the rumors. He hadn't told the people to follow him. It was the Master Star Reader's lie his father resented, not Chagum's. "Please forgive me, most esteemed Father. I am only concerned for my grandfather's safety, and for that of the Yogoan navy."

"Your concerns are folly. If Tosa is as skilled as his reputation at court suggests, then he should have no trouble defeating the Talsh. And if he is not, there is no cause for worry. The loss of ten ships is of little consequence compared to the full might of New Yogo's navy."

Startled, Chagum could not stop himself from sitting up a little. "Ten...?" He felt a chill race down his neck. "I thought- I thought that you had sent the entire navy with him."

"The great Tosa Harusuan needs only a small fleet to protect Sangal from the Talsh invaders."

Chagum sat up completely now. He stared through the bamboo screen at his father's impassive face, his own mind reeling. If the Emperor had decided to dispatch a small force instead of the large one originally planned, it could only be because he had guessed this was, indeed, a trap, and he did not wish to lose the majority of the country's navy; or - the worser possibility - because the Emperor wished for the relief forces to be defeated, and so calculated to ensure they'd be outnumbered regardless of whether the Talsh controlled Sangal yet. Perhaps it was both. Admiral Tosa was a man of high reputation, as the Mikado said. Tosa had many friends and allies among the nobility and the military. The Harusuan family was one of the most respected in the nation. Other noble houses had been stained with conspiracy, like the attempted coup by Lord Yuguraku a decade earlier, or the squabbles over which family's daughter would be betrothed to Chagum and eventually become queen. The nobility were constantly infighting and plotting against each other and sometimes against the Mikado himself. In such instances, Chagum knew through Shuga that the Holy Sage would dispatch the Hunters to resolve the problem. More than one ambitious noble had met with tragic accident before his or her plans could come to fruition. But could the Emperor truly intend for Tosa, his own father-in-law, whose loyalty had ever been secure, to be killed by the enemy? Chagum could think of only one reason why. His power-mad father wished to weaken Chagum's position at court by destroying the boy's most influential ally.

"Father," he said softly, "you knew that this was a trap all along, didn't you?"

"Are you accusing me of treachery, second son?"

"Why did you decrease the number of ships being sent to reinforce Sangal?"

"You dare to demand an explanation from your Emperor?"

"Yes, Father, I do!" Crown Prince Chagum almost shouted, rising from his seat in anger. "You mean for my grandfather and all the men with him to die. You intended it all along!"

"Silence!" the Mikado roared. "Know your place, Chagum!"

But rather than sit back down, the boy - fifteen years old but already as tall as a grown man - approached the throne. "I will not be silent! You are proposing to send brave men to their deaths, to weaken the country's defenses, and to murder the father of your own wife because of me - because you fear that my political power is growing, and that I'll try to overthrow you. Father, I don't even want to be a _prince!_ Why would I want to be Emperor? Please, Father!" Immediately before the bamboo screen, Chagum flung himself to the ground, hands clenched into fists, bowing so his forehead touched the floor. "I beg you, recall the fleet! Do not sacrifice my grandfather to your paranoia! I know you hate me, Father, but don't punish others in my place!"

In the shadows at the edges of the audience chamber, the Invisibles, their faces hidden by fabric screens, seemed to ripple with horror at these words. Mon, leader of the Hunters, standing guard and watching from a corner where he could not be seen, furrowed his brow. He was impressed at the Crown Prince's courage, and appalled at his audacity. He, too, was shaken, part of him fearing that this meeting would be followed by a summons of his own, and by the Mikado's ordering him, just like five years earlier, to kill the prince. He knew that the Emperor despised his son, and that Chagum despised the palace; but Mon had never expected that things would come to such a head so quickly, and so abruptly. Unconsciously he held his breath.

A long, electric silence followed the prince's outburst. Behind his screen, the Mikado's mouth pursed and then spread, slowly as trickling water, into a smile. "Well, Chagum. You beg me, do you? How unfortunate that it is only now you find your humility. The Son of Heaven has already sent his fleet to rescue the beleaguered citizens of Sangal from the growing Talsh threat. Yogo's ships cannot be recalled, lest the divine Mikado appear weak or indecisive. Your illustrious grandfather's fate is in his own hands, now."

Chagum's hands clenched tighter and rage boiled up inside him. But he controlled himself. A memory came to him of many years ago, almost an eternity, when he was living with Balsa at the watermill and a Rotan boy had challenged him to a _lucha_ match. He had asked Balsa how the boy could be defeated, who was larger and stronger than Chagum, then only a child. She'd explained how he could use the Rotan's momentum against him - not trying to stop him, but simply to redirect him. Too, Shuga's advice returned to Chagum, many lessons over many occasions, about how the right words could change the course of even the most unstoppable entity. With a steadying breath, Chagum said, his voice strong and clear, "If Tosa were to turn back of his own accord, it would be he who would appear cowardly and indecisive. It would weaken his position at court, while still saving the fleet, and still preserving the Emperor's strength and honor. Please allow me to send a message to him, Father. I will tell him about the trap and he will recall the fleet himself. He can then be forced to retire from the Navy in disgrace for disobeying the Emperor's commands. Your goal will still be accomplished, but no blood will be shed."

Mon, in his unlit corner, felt an unwilling swell of admiration. For someone who detested politics, Chagum had certainly grown into a brilliant politician. 

The Emperor's voice, when he spoke, however, was almost tangibly dripping with derision and spite. "I see," he said, his lip curling. "You've figured everything out, have you? The boy clearly knows everything. How wise he is! Emperor Torgal's reincarnation, indeed! Well, clever Chagum, if you know so much and you're so confident you can do better than your father the Mikado, then by all means, do so! I'll dispatch a messenger to the fleet at once - the very best messenger that can be found! The prince himself will go to inform Admiral Tosa of the Talsh trap and to convince him to return. We cannot allow Princess Saruna to think that her friend has abandoned her, can we?"

Chagum was rendered momentarily speechless, staring through the screen at the dark, self-satisfied gaze of his father. He sat back on his haunches, his thoughts spinning, unable to believe that he had heard correctly. His heart ached as if his father had stabbed a stake through it. _What did I do to deserve this?_ he thought with a throb of self-pity. _I never hated my father. Why must he hate me?_

"Is Torgal reborn afraid to go to his grandfather's aid? Then it seems that Tosa is lost for good."

Shaking with misery and rage, Chagum stood. "I will go, Father. The Emperor's divine command will be obeyed."

The Mikado smiled. "Good. May heaven's blessings speed you on your way."


	4. The Boy and his Tutor

Chagum was so upset that he stormed from the room without bowing or paying respect in any way to his father. The further he got from the audience chamber, the faster he walked. He burst through the doors of the palace and crossed the white-sand yard at a fast stride, then broke into a run. He ran past the guards, across the royal grounds, down winding paths and through gates in dividing walls, and he did not stop until he had reached the garden beside the Second Palace where he and his mother still lived despite Chagum had been Crown Prince more than four years now. Here a pleasant stream trickled over mossy rocks, and a bench was tucked under the heavy boughs of a willow. Here the boy threw himself down and stared at the glimmering water, ignoring the tears that zigzagged down his cheeks, clenching and unclenching his hands and huffing like a bull until his feelings of anger and betrayal began at last to dissipate. He felt now the same way he'd felt when he first learned of the Rarunga as a child, when he'd discovered he was destined to be eaten alive and had thought his protectors had intentionally tricked him by keeping that fate a secret from him. Except that then, there'd been a logical reason behind their actions; this time, there was nothing but spite. His father wanted him dead. His father cared so little about him that he would rather hundreds die than risk the boy's popularity persist. Chagum wished nothing more in that instant than to snap his fingers and be transformed into a peasant child, like Toya, and to live his whole live a million miles away from palace intrigue, in a place where fathers actually loved and protected their children, where parents didn't see their offspring as competition. What a cruel, stupid world he'd had the misfortune to be born into. He'd give every rugal in the world to escape it forever. But of course his father couldn't understand that, or just didn't care to. Suddenly the boy wanted desperately to see Sagum, his older brother, long deceased. Sagum would have listened. Sagum would have understood.

"Your highness," said a voice, startling the boy from his thoughts, "may I sit with you?"

"What?" Chagum glanced up, quickly brushing the tears from his cheeks. "Oh, Shuga," he said, seeing his tutor standing at the edge of the garden. "Of course, have a seat."

Shuga approached, his expression wreathed in concern. "I just spoke with the Holy Sage."

"I see." Chagum sighed. "Then you've heard what happened with my father."

"Yes, your highness."

"You can say you told me so if you like." The prince tried to smile, but couldn't. 

Shuga's face grew sadder, and he touched the boy's arm - an inappropriate gesture, but a sympathetic one which Chagum appreciated. "I'm so sorry, your highness. I undestand why you're upset. Only... please don't take it personally. Your father doesn't hate you. He hates your reputation, and he lacks the wisdom to be able to separate his son from the myth the people cling to."

Chagum sighed again, heavily. "Perhaps, if I can get Grandfather to recall the fleet, then I can take credit for such a cowardly action, and it will discredit me enough that I can fade into obscurity. Tugum can become the new Crown Prince, and I can just be the prince who failed the Empire. And after Tugum takes the throne, I'll be ejected from the palace and I can spend the rest of my days as a commoner." His tone was wistful; Shuga didn't need to tell him that this fantasy would never come to pass. 

"It's possible that you could be disgraced enough to be passed over as heir to the throne, yes." _But you can never be a commoner again_ , was the unspoken addition to that sentence.

Chagum stood and walked to the edge of the stream, gazing forlornly at the water as it burbled cheerfully over a flight of tiny waterfalls. After a long moment, he glanced back at his tutor. "You're coming with me, aren't you? Like before?"

With a look of pain, Shuga shook his head. His gaze fastened on the ground; he seemed to sag inside his robes. "I... I have been forbidden to accompany you, your highness. The Master Star Reader claims that I have duties here that cannot be given to others - and that the order for me to remain in New Yogo came from the Mikado himself. I begged him, your highness - I begged my master to change his mind, to speak to the Mikado on my behalf, but he would not be moved." Shuga's voice cracked. "The Holy Sage and the Mikado will not even let me leave the palace until your ship has departed for Sangal. Please forgive me, your highness - my place is at your side, but Hibi Tonan doesn't think the prince requires a tutor on this journey." 

Chagum felt a wash of bitter, hopeless desertion. He wanted to hide his disappointment, but his whole body drooped at the news. Chagum trusted Shuga more than anyone in court besides his mother, and he depended on the young man's advice and wisdom and support. Before, when he and his tutor had gone to Sangal on a diplomatic mission, Chagum had felt a sense of security simply by having Shuga along. Now, it seemed his father expected him to go into the jaws of this trap alone. It was as if the Mikado were further driving in the point that he wished for Chagum to die on this voyage. The Master Star Reader was keeping Shuga back because the old sage couldn't stand to lose his favorite pupil so fruitlessly.

"But," Shuga went on quickly, "two of the Hunters will be sent to protect you on the way..."

Chagum sniffed. "Not Mon, I'm sure."

"Just because he isn't sending the leader of the Hunters doesn't mean your father intends this to be a suicide mission, your highness," Shuga said, trying to sound positive.

"No, of course not," Chagum replied. "But he isn't sending you, either. And I like Mon best. I don't think he would do anything he didn't think was wise. I think he would be able to find a way out of the trap, even if Grandfather and I can't."

Shuga tried again to take an optimistic tone. "He's sending Jin and Yun. You remember them-"

"I remember all of them, Shuga. I daresay at least one of them is guarding me at all times - keeping an eye on my, for my father's sake. And they've been passing messages between you and I and my commoner friends for years. How else would I communicate with Tanda and Toya and Saya regularly if not for their assistance? You act as if I've suddenly got amnesia."

Shuga prickled with embarrassment at this gentle reprimand and quickly apologized. His distress was making him say stupid things - but the star reader felt so useless, so impotent. He was totally devoted to Chagum; the thought of having to stay back in Kousenkyo while the Prince was sent into the maw of the Talsh Empire's trap without a single ally was simply unbearable. Shuga could be as positive as he wanted, but the truth was, the Emperor had known about the trap before the request for reinforcements even arrived at the palace. The Holy Sage's intelligence network had been reporting the slow fall of Sangal to the Talsh for months now. As soon as the fleet reached the Karsch Archipelago, the Talsh would capture or destroy it, and if they were not killed, Prince Chagum and Admiral Tosa would most likely be held as bargaining chips for when the Talsh came for New Yogo. Since Sangal was directly to the south, and since the Talsh Empire seemed to be in a constant conquest for more territory, Shuga guessed that the Talsh would make their move within the next few years - just however long it took them to regroup and consolidate their hold on Sangal. The Mikado would not listen to any Talsh demands, nor agree to any prisoner exchanges or ransoms. He wanted Chagum gone; he would be all too happy to let the Talsh eliminate the boy for him.

Chagum, ever insightful, was thinking much the same thing. After a moment the prince said, as if he could read his tutor's thoughts, "Don't worry, Shuga. Grandfather is an excellent naval commander, and Jin and Yun are both very capable Hunters. Between all of us, I'm sure we'll find a way to evade the trap. I may be gone a while, but I will return."

Shuga could only nod. He felt ashamed to again be the weaker party when he was supposed to be the stronger, but he could feel tears starting and didn't want to allow them to fall. For a long time the two sat on the bench in silence - the tutor and his prince, both miserable, both alone, both praying that this wouldn't be the last time they saw each other. Then at last Shuga said, "Come, your highness, let's finish your lessons. You may be at sea for a long time, so I'll have to send homework with you - lots of reading. And I'll tell your attendants to see to it that you do everything I've assigned," he added with a smile. Chagum smiled gratefully back.


	5. The Star Reader and the Hunter

Late that night, Shuga rose from his bed and, under the moonless starlight, walked along a hidden trail through the woods that surrounded Hoshinomiya. He had not slept. He felt desperate and rash, and as he approached his destination his heart began to pound. What he was about to do was madness, but he had been racking his brain for any solution, any way to help his Prince and student escape the Mikado's plot, and this was the only feasible course of action Shuga could come up with. Two Hunters were being sent with Chagum as an escort, both of whom the Star Reader had had contact with on several occasions, whose faces he both knew. Shuga could easily recall how, standing in the middle of a Yaku village facing off against Shaman Torogai four years earlier, Jin, one of the younger Hunters, had almost ruined Shuga's negotiations by demanding, quite out of turn, that the Yaku return Chagum because he felt the Yaku could not adequately protect the Prince. Jin had been ready to tear the village apart to recover the Prince, and even after being told to stand down, he only obeyed after Torogai reassured him that Chagum was safe and happy. When Shuga and Chagum had been preparing to depart for Sangal the first time, when the boy was fourteen, Jin had come by to deliver a bamboo vial of a fine white powder with instructions that, should Shuga and Chagum encounter trouble, the Star Reader need only throw the powder at the assailant and he or she would be rendered unconscious for about ten minutes, giving Shuga and the prince time to escape. Shuga hadn't needed to use it - though he'd been tempted, at a few points on that trip - but he'd been glad to have it just in case. Jin carried letters between the star reader and Tanda, the Yaku herbalist who was Torogai's apprentice, and had so far never failed to get a message to its recipient, whch suggested the hunter was at least moderately reliable. Both Jin and Yun had helped when Tanda was transformed into a demon by the Dream-Flower; but really, all Shuga knew of Yun was that he had a photographic memory and still wore a scar across his nose from his encounter with Balsa the spearwielder. The Star Reader wished now that he'd taken the time to learn more about the Hunters - that he'd ever thought of them as anything more than tools, or skilled hirelings. He hadn't bothered to learn their allegiances and personalities, to see them as people who could be swayed one way or another. His arrogance meant that he was taking a major risk going to them for help - but he was betting that Jin at least would be willing. And again, Shuga couldn't think of a better idea.

The star reader's mouth was dry as he climbed the three steps to the door of a small building tucked in among the trees as if forgotten and inconsequential: the Hunters' barracks. There was no light inside, but that didn't mean there wasn't anyone here. Before he could knock, the door slid open.

"Master Shuga," said the shadowy figure who stood before him, with a polite bow of the head. "May I help you?"

"Mon," said Shuga, startled. "Ah- Good evening. I have a request to make. Mmm- may I speak with you privately?"

"Master Shuga, I do not believe that I am the one you wish to speak to. He is waiting by Emperor Torgal's shrine. We anticipated you might want a private conversation tonight. No one else is there."

"Thank you, Mon," said Shuga, bowing. "You are wise as ever." He turned and hurried back along the path. He was unnerved by the fact that his actions tonight had been predicted so easily, and feared for what he might find when he reached the shrine. Perhaps this was a trap, itself. What did he really know about these people? He had always felt Mon and the rest were trustworthy, but perhaps he had misjudged them - perhaps their loyalty to the Mikado was strong enough that they would think Shuga treasonous for wanting to save the Prince, against the Mikado's orders. These men had, after all, tried to kill Chagum before - why not now? Perhaps Shuga was walking into an ambush.

When he reached the shrine, however, Shuga saw no one. He stopped, then walked uncertainly towards the fountain that gurgled from the base of Torgal's statue.

"You're not particularly discreet, are you?" said a voice from very nearby. Shuga whirled about, then started as a black shape detached from the statue and easily hopped down next to where Shuga stood. "Not that you ever were. You should have waited for us to come to you."

"Jin?" the Star Reader ventured, for the man's face was hidden under a straw hat and he spoke too softly for Shuga to recognize the voice.

The figure nodded. "You've come to ask me to help his majesty escape the trap."

"Yes. I fear the Emperor will send assassins after the Prince, and-"

"Master Shuga - he already has."

The Star Reader was caught off guard by this, and as the meaning of the remark dawned on him, his mouth fell open. "You- you're-"

"Yun and I, yes."

Shuga felt cold. He had looked for protection for Chagum in the very weapons the Emperor had selected to destroy him. He thought again, frantically, of the way this man had acted four years earlier, and since. Had he misread the Hunters so completely? In sudden desperation, he spoke brashly and without thinking. "You must protect him. Please, Jin. You must do whatever it takes." 

"To go against the Mikado's orders is a death sentence."

"Nonetheless, you must do it," Shuga said urgently. "You know that the Mikado is sending you to your death whether you obey him or not. Admiral Tosa's fleet is sailing into a trap. He means for Prince Chagum to be killed along with his grandfather - surely your leader is aware of this. Jin, I feel sure that you care for the Prince's welfare more than any of your colleagues do. Did I imagine your loyalty for the Prince is greater than your loyalty to his father? Please! You are his only hope! You must protect the future emperor with your life!"

The Hunter was silent. Shuga held his breath; his skin felt electrified and his heart was pounding in his ears. In speaking this way, the star reader had just openly conspired against the Mikado, which was itself grounds for execution. If he was wrong about Jin's allegiances, the other man might well kill him now, or at the very least report his treason to Mon. But Shuga had no concern for himself, only for Crown Prince Chagum.

"Not all the Hunters feel as I do," Jin said at last. "You have not misjudged me, but you should be careful what you say and to whom or you'll end up dead yourself."

"Then you'll make sure nothing happens to the Prince? You'll protect him?" 

"I cannot make any promises, Master Shuga, but I will do my best." And with that, without another word, Jin had faded into the shadows again and was gone.

Shuga felt suddenly weak. He guessed that Mon must also be sympathetic or he would not have helped the star reader meet with one of his Hunters. Furthermore, Mon had surely chosen which of his Hunters would go on this mission, and Shuga sensed that the leader of the Hunters knew all of his men as well as a person could be known, so he must have been aware he was sending an ally with the Prince in his second-in-command. But Shuga could not trust any of the others. As far as he was aware, Chagum had only three friends here at court: his mother, Mon, and Shuga himself. Everyone else must be considered an enemy.


	6. Departure

Early the following morning, while the preparations for his departure were hastily finalized, the Crown Prince went to bid his mother farewell. On the promenade of the Second Palace, the empress held her son and cried more than she had when she turned him over to Balsa the Spearwielder so many years earlier. Then, she had not expected to see the boy again, but she had known he would survive.

This time, she felt certain that both her son and her father were fated for certain death, and she wept as if the two were dead already.

"Mother," said Chagum gently, "I promise that I'll be back eventually. We know it's a trap and that gives us an advantage."

"Your father wants you dead," the Empress whispered. "Oh, my dear, beloved son. I wish that you had never come back to the palace! The people love you more than they love your father, and he hates you for that, just as he hates me for going against his will when he wanted you dead before. Oh, Chagum, Chagum, my precious child, how could you have been thrust into this terrible position?"

"Don't worry for me, Mother," Chagum said into her hair, keeping his voice calm for her sake, with effort. It hurt him to see her so distraught, and her reminder about the Mikado's attitude towards his second wife made Chagum worry for her. "Grandfather will be there. He'll protect me. He'll be able to find a way around the trap."

The Empress sniffled and managed to smile at her son through her tears, though she did not release him. "You are right. Father will keep you safe. But even then, you dare not return to Yogo or your father will not stop hunting you until you are both dead."

Chagum was silent. He knew his mother was right, and he didn't trust himself to speak without crying. The Empress hugged him again, hard. They held each other for a small eternity, but at last the Empress released him. Gently she unhooked one of her ruisha earrings - a different pair than last time, though just as luminous - and pressed it into Chagum's palm. "Here," she said. "Just like before. I'll wear the other one around my neck, and when you look at the light of that stone, you will know that I'm looking at its twin back here and thinking of you." She leaned in and kissed her son on the forehead, then hugged him tightly again. "Be safe, Chagum."

"I'll see you again, Mother," the boy said solemnly as, their embrace ended, he turned to go. "I promise." The Empress waved and smiled as he walked away, but her affected hope crumbled as soon as the boy was out of sight. She ran to her bedroom, threw herself upon the mattress and cried until the sun went down. She remained inconsolable for days. But once she recovered some semblance of composure, she did as she had promised, stringing her earring onto a golden thread and hanging it about her neck. She would often hold the gem in the coming months to reassure herself that Chagum was safe.

* * *

The Prince departed around noon with three servants, only one of whom he knew by name, and two bodyguards, the Hunters Jin and Yun. He and his entourage rode fast for the coast, stopping only to switch horses and once to sleep. They boarded a sailing sloop in the nearest port city and raced to catch the fleet. Chagum stood at the stern of the ship, leaning on the rail, fingering his mother's earring which now dangled about his neck on a thin leather cord, and watching his home retreat into the horizon. He tried to let the joy of being on the ocean infect him - after all, he'd loved sailing during his first journey to Sangal, and he certainly still relished the opportunity to leave the palace and travel - but the urgency of his mission and the gloomy pall of treachery that hung over the whole affair kept his heart heavy. He prayed that his grandfather would know what to do, that his mother would be all right with him gone, that Princess Saruna was safe and unharmed. He worried for his Sangalese friends almost as much as for the fleet. And he couldn't forget the cryptic remark Shuga had made just before his departure about the boy's having enemies closer than Chagum might think. Momentarily he glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the deck. The servants were in the cabin, preparing it so that Chagum could have a meal and get some sleep before the rendezvous. The two Hunters stood on opposite sides of the ship, but Chagum had the unpleasant sensation that they had both been watching him and only stopped when he turned around. Chagum frowned. How he wished his travelling companions were Shuga and Mon, not these two! He didn't like how inscrutable the Hunters were. Of course, these men had both helped Tanda when he was possessed three years before, and that gave the prince a little confidence in them... But whenever his Hunter-of-the-day had been Jin, the younger of the two, Chagum had always gotten the impression that Jin was watching him like a hawk; and Yun's blank expression had never failed to creep the boy out, whether it was fixed on him or not. In fact, all of the Hunters creeped him out, except Mon, whose eyes had the same sorrowful look about them as a hound dog's, and whose thoughtful manner Chagum found reassuring. The rest were so difficult to read that Chagum instinctively mistrusted them. He was probably wrong to equate self-control with deception; but then again, he had little doubt Shuga's warning concerned these two. Either way, they weren't exactly the sort of men you could talk to when you were bored or feeling lonely. Shuga was excellent for that sort of thing. Chagum sighed. He missed Shuga terribly right now. Thinking of his tutor made him remember the journey he and Shuga had shared the year before, made him think of Sangal again and worry, and then think of the trap and worry more. He was grateful when the servants called him to dinner.


	7. Rendezvous

They caught up to the fleet the following morning. The ship was small and fast and the winds were favorable; they skimmed over the water like a cloud. A little after dawn, while he still slept, Chagum heard someone shouting. He stirred awake, hastily tugged on a robe, and hurried up to the deck to see the distant sails of the fleet like seabirds against the blue of the ocean. At last the prince felt his spirits rise. He hurried back to his room to dress, and by the time he was presentable, the ship had made its rendezvous. They pulled up alongside the flagship, and the sailors tied the boats together and laid down a wide gangplank with rope handrails so that Chagum and his attendants could move to the other ship. Tosa stood on the deck and waved to Chagum, smiling. The boy smiled and waved back; seeing his grandfather gave him hope. Chagum couldn't get across the gangplank fast enough. As soon as it had been secured, the boy sprinted over to his grandfather and hugged him tightly, ignoring the worried shouts from his attendants and the awkward reactions of Tosa's naval staff. "Grandfather! I'm so glad you're safe!"

Tosa laughed and gently pushed Chagum away. "We won't reach Sangal for over a week, Little Chipmunk," he said, using the nickname he and his daughter had given Chagum when he was a chubby-cheeked infant. Such familiar behavior would have caused scandal in the royal court, but out here on the water Tosa was willing to relax the social proscriptions that came of his grandson's status.

"Now, what brings you racing out to meet me? We were very surprised to see your ship!"

"Grandfather," said Chagum urgently, straightening and becoming serious, "your fleet is sailing into a trap. Sangal doesn't need our protection - not anymore. They've already been overrun and have surrendered. This is just a ploy by the Talsh to wipe out our navy... and by Father to have you killed," he added in a much softer tone. "That's why he reduced the number of ships in your fleet. If you continue to Sangal, everyone will be slaughtered. We have to turn around and go back."

Tosa's brow knitted. "How do you know this?"

"I received a letter from Princess Saruna of the Sangalese royal family right after you left. She told me everything."

"Do you have the letter with you?"

"I have a copy," said Chagum, nodding at his manservant, Ruin, to get it. "I didn't want to implicate Saruna in any way if it fell into enemy hands, so I left the original with Mother."

"That was good thinking," said Tosa, patting the boy on the shoulder. "Come into my dining room and we'll discuss this seriously over tea."

Ruin arrived with the letter while Tosa's own attendant set a pot of tea to boil. Chagum explained what had happened with the Mikado, and Tosa read Saruna's letter carefully several times through. Then at last he set it down with a heavy sigh.

"You're right, Chagum. We're sailing into a trap." The old man thanked his servant as the man poured them tea, then continued, "I suspected as much, when I learned I was to have only twenty ships - but I thought perhaps your father's intention was to strengthen Yogo's coastal defenses, or that he had received new intelligence that the Talsh threat was not as bad as expected. But I am not suprised to hear that he wishes us dead. Not only myself, but also you." He shook his head sadly. "When your mother married him, your father was still a prince. He was such a kind young man. I know that must be difficult to believe, but he truly loved your mother, then. It breaks my heart to see how power has destroyed him."

Chagum bit his lip, then said forcefully, "You must turn the fleet around at once, Grandfather. I will take responsibility, and my apparent cowardice will give my father an excuse to pass me over for the throne. Then he'll have what he wants, everyone will be safe, and I won't have to worry about his jealousy any longer."

"It's not that simple," Tosa sighed. He reached a hand across the table and rested it on hs grandson's. "Your father has pledged aid to the Sangalese. He gave his word, and if no ships arrive, trap or not, your father will appear weak, cowardly, and insincere in the eyes of both our own people and New Yogo's neighbors. Furthermore, if you or I return without completing our errand to Sangal, the disgrace will be trebled. Even if the decision to retreat is mine or yours, it will not matter - any vacillation, any hesitation will reflect badly on the Emperor. We can spare the fleet, Little Chipmunk... but we cannot spare ourselves."

The prince felt a shudder run through his body. "What do you mean, Grandfather?"

"Your father has lost sight of what's important," said Tosa, with great sadness in his eyes. "He means to eliminate us, Chagum. If we return disgraced, he will not be satisfied to simply pass you over for the throne and allow your old grandfather to retire. Instead, he will call our cowardice treason. He will punish your mother, he will have me executed as a traitor, and he will lock you up in your palace until his assassins can quietly do away with you. Even if it's nothing as dramatic as that, I promise you all three of us will end up falling ill through mysterious circumstances and passing away before the year is through. The sailors will not be punished if I send the fleet back to New Yogo, but you and I... our fate is sealed, Little Chipmunk."

Chagum stared at him. "Then we have no choice but to sail directly into the hands of the Talsh."

"I'm afraid so. But don't fear, my boy," Tosa added quickly, managing a smile, "we've a few tricks up our sleeve yet. I won't let my grandson come to harm. Your mother would kill me if I did!" He ruffled Chagum's hair and poured him another cup of tea.


	8. Journey

That afternoon, Tosa had all nonessential staff transferred to the ship Chagum had arrived on, amid heavy protest. The admiral commanded great respect from his men; none of them wished to abandon him, but they obeyed because, as he explained in a speech to the entire crew, New Yogo needed its fleet and its best officers to defend it against the forthcoming invasion. It was obvious that Yogo was to be the Talsh Empire's next target; there was no other reason for them to lay a trap for Yogo's navy this way. Everything was taken from the flagship that might aid the Talsh: maps, charts, log-books, even weapons. The men saluted Tosa and disembarked, and then the fleet sailed away, leaving the flagship and its skeleton crew unarmed and alone in the ocean - alone against the entire Talsh Empire, Chagum felt, and surely doomed. He had seen something of their power on his previous journey here. He did not feel confident in his and his grandfather's chances of survival against their ruthlessness and might. The prince wondered, briefly, if New Yogo itself were also doomed to fall to the Talsh as Old Yogo had. Would his friends - Tanda, Toya and Saya, Torogai, Shuga - also be trapped and destroyed by this unstoppable enemy? Was it already too late for Saruna and Tarsan and his other Sangalese friends? 

"Your highness," said a small voice next to him. Chagum turned. He had been staring at the horizon, where the last sail had just vanished into the blue expanse of the sea. Next to him stood Ruin, his manservant, a boy no older than himself. As a child, Ruin had served Sagum, and after the crown prince's death, Ruin had come to serve Chagum in his brother's place. He was a solicitous and helpful servant, shy and sad, and Chagum had taken a liking to the boy because he saw humanity in him. Most of the servants were almost like furniture, they showed so little emotion - but Ruin had really loved Sagum, and when Chagum first met him, at age twelve, Ruin was struggling to hold back tears. Though they were only a few months apart in age, Chagum's maturity made him feel much older, and he protected Ruin even as the boy tended the prince's needs. He had tried to get Ruin to leave the flagship with the other servants, but the boy had refused adamantly. He was clearly afraid for them all, but he was especially worried for Chagum, and seemed desperate to do anything to help. "Your highness, I've made you some tea. Please come and have some, lest you catch cold from this wind."

Chagum smiled a little. "It's warm out, Ruin. I don't think I have much to worry about. But," he added, seeing the other boy's crestfallen look, "I will come and have some all the same. Thank you."

* * *

The rest of the journey passed in much the same way: a rising dread as they neared their destination; a good deal of reading and a greater deal of strolling every inch of the ship; meals shared with his grandfather, which, though modest, were bright spots on the journey; lovely sunsets; restless nights. Chagum decided to familiarize himself with the ship and her crew. He wandered the deck, watching the crew work the sails and the rudder and observing how the ship's pieces fit together. Now and then he would lie back on the prow of the ship and watch the creatures of Nayug swim past overhead, which he knew only he could see. He chatted a bit with Ruin, but the servant boy was, as ever, too shy before a prince to be particularly forthcoming. The boy wasn't quite brave enough to try and engage his unnerving bodyguards, whom he still suspected were secretly out to get him. He followed Shuga's lesson plan, and gazed long at the boundless stars every night, and fingered his mother's earring often.

Mostly, however, the prince followed his grandfather around and asked about how a ship was run, and about naval strategy, and all the things his grandfather excelled at. Tosa's heart swelled at the boy's interest and pleasant attitude, and he happily spent as much time with his grandson as he could. In court, after all, they had never been free to simply interact the way a normal family did. If they ignored the prospect of capture or death looming on the horizon, the cruise had the feel of a holiday. Chagum and his grandfather talked over supper and long into the nights about the family's history and Tosa's many victories at sea as a young man. But their favorite thing to discuss was the Second Empress.

"When your mother was just a girl - oh, six or seven - I brought her a pearl from one of my trips, about this big." He held his thumb and forefinger together to make an O. "Well, I was a bit of a prankster in my youth, and I told her it was an egg from a tropical bird, and that if she built a little nest for it and kept it warm, it might hatch. Then I was called away again - we used to have a terrible problem with pirates, then - and I didn't come home for almost nine months. I never had the chance to tell her I was joking, and when I came back, there was the pearl, sitting in a nest she'd made out of silk scarves in a lacquer box." The old man sighed and shook his head, his eyes crinkled with amusement. "She came running up and told me she made a nest just like I told her, but the egg hadn't hatched, and she was scared she'd killed it. I just couldn't tell her it was only a pearl! You know how tender-hearted your mother is. So I took a good look at the nest and told her I'd forgotten one detail, that the nest had to be in a dark place and couldn't be disturbed until it hatched. So she put the box with the pearl into a big chest and waited while I went off again on a shorter cruise."

"But, Grandfather," said Chagum, "what were you hoping, that she'd forget about it?"

"Not likely!" laughed Tosa. "No, I had to give myself time to find a proper bird! I searched every port we stopped at, and finally I found this tame little flame-finch with a long white tail and a little orange body, and when I got home I snuck it into the chest while your mother was having a bath. When she came back to the room, I was about to wish her goodnight when I paused and said, 'Why, Pear Blossom, did you hear that? It sounded like a little bird!' She leapt out of bed as if she had wings. When she opened the chest and that finch hopped out and sat on her hand, she looked so happy I thought she might burst into flame herself. And that was when I realised I'd forgotten to grab the pearl!"

The two laughed over the stories of Chagum's mother's girlhood, and Chagum often clutched absently at the earring around his neck. His grandfather told him about his own boyhood, too, and about his own grandfather, who had been a gruff cavalryman with one eye, and about Chagum's grandmother, who had been renowned for her beauty and her wit alike and had passed on before Chagum was born. Chagum felt as if he were getting to know his own family for the first time. He wished the voyage would never end.

* * *

He was not alone in this sentiment. For the two Hunters, a grim inevitability waited at the end of their journey, an unavoidable conflict that neither wished to face. Jin knew what his friend had been commanded, and what he himself could not allow, and his heart twisted at the prospect of having to choose between his closest friend and his prince. There had to be another way.

"Can I speak with you a moment?"

Yun glanced over, then looked back at the book he was reading - an instructional text on the Talsh language. He said nothing, but Jin took his silence for an affirmative, to Yun's chagrin but not surprise.

"Our orders-"

"Don't say it," Yun growled.

"You can't go through with them."

Yun made a hissing sound. "You never did know when to keep your mouth shut."

Jin frowned. "You're my friend, and I trust you."

"What's your point?"

"We can't do this - you know we can't."

"No," said Yun, closing his book with a harsh snap. " _You_ can't do this. I don't know what our leader was thinking sending you on this mission. Probably the Mikado remembers what a problem you've been in the past and wants you gone; I don't know why else you're here. But _because_ I'm you're friend, I'm telling you right now not to worry about it. You can forget our orders, since you're not going to follow them anyways. I'll take care of it."

"Hasham-"

" _Don't_ ," Yun all but snarled. His eyes were intense as lightning as he whirled upon his colleague. "Don't you dare, _Jin_." He spat the number, as if to physically knock his name out of the air. "You do not make the rules. You do not choose which rules you follow and which you don't. I am dumbfounded that you are _still_ doing this after this long. You're an adult; behave like one. Forget about the Prince; I'll deal with it. You can focus on fixing your attitude before we both get killed by the Talsh. I will handle things. Don't get in my way."

The other Hunter stared at him a moment, opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, then turned and walked off. Yun stared after him, frustrated, incensed. He picked up his book and went back to reading, but the words seemed to smear and finally he left the book and went to pace the ship instead. It was bad enough he must murder someone as innocent as Chagum; he prayed he wouldn't have to kill his dearest friend in the process.


End file.
